1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for discovering a device based on location information, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for discovering a device based on location information in Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Peer to Peer (P2P) communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with development of wireless technology, wired networks have been replaced by wireless networks. That is, since mobility problems with wired networks were able to be solved using wireless technology, studies on a variety of technologies using wireless networks have been increasingly conducted. Thanks to the remarkable development of information and communication technologies and semiconductor technologies, the supply and use of various portable terminals has rapidly increased. In particular, portable terminals have reached a mobile convergence stage of encompassing areas of other types of user equipment without being confined to their traditional unique areas. Mobile communication terminals provide various additional functions, such as a TV viewing function (e.g., mobile broadcasting such as Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB)), a music reproduction function (e.g., Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) Audio Layer-3 (MP3) player), a photography function, and a Wi-Fi access function, in addition to a typical communication function, such as a voice call or message transmission/reception.
A significance of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), which is also referred to as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), is that wireless networks are easy to use, and the Internet can be used via portable terminals or notebooks within a predetermined distance from wherever an Access Point is installed. Particularly, the wireless LAN, which has potential as an open wireless network, is being rapidly proliferated with the popularization of portable terminals, and Wi-Fi is used to provide high-speed data services to entire cities including schools, airports, hotels, and offices.
Typical wireless communication using Wi-Fi is only aimed at Internet connection via an access point and lacks consideration for direct communication between devices providing Wi-Fi functions. Accordingly, functions referred to as Wi-Fi P2P or Wi-Fi Direct are being developed to provide direct communication functions between devices. Although direct communication functions between devices are similar to those provided by such technologies as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi P2P is more advantageous due to its transmission range and data transmission rate as compared to Bluetooth, and therefore, Wi-Fi P2P communication is becoming more important.